Everyone by now has probably heard about how target got rid of the labels "boy" or "girl" under the toy section. This was done because toys don't really have a gender. Something that is labeled a "boy's toy" could potentially be restricting and enforcing the nasty idea that there is something so different between genders that even babies cannot use the same toys. Some people were very happy about this progressive change, and others were not. Some even expressed just how much they disagreed in obviously the most important and effective way: Facebook.
There are so many concerned people out there now! It seems like since one label on one store has now simplified it's text, astronomical levels of confusion and frustration have occurred. What exactly are the potential effects of your six year old son grabbing a girly pink toy and taking it home?
He'll have a new toy
Yay! Your son got a new toy! This is one effect of your son grabbing a toy from a gender neutral store. This toy will go great with the other's he already has at home. Maybe it's small like a little toy cell phone so he can't pretend to call all of his pals. Perhaps it's a barbie convertible to transport all his Legos in. You know how kids are, they get a new toy and go crazy over it. It could even become his favorite! You might be tucking him in with his new best friend, and it may be an American Girl doll. It'll also occupy him again if he was getting bored of his old toys, which you give you some time to just relax.
He may like pink
Or purple or yellow or orange! Learning and exploring colors is very important. Imagine if he was restricted to only blue! Would he ever fully understand things like complimentary colors if he believed pink to have cooties?
More toys, more friends?
It's a warm sunny day and you take a trip down to the playground. There's your six your old son, by the sandbox, playing alone with the three toys you eventually allowed him to bring with him. A toy dump truck, a barbie and huge toy bug. Ten minutes later, here comes Sally, who's also six years old, with her eye on the Barbie. "I have the same one!" She yells pulling out her own from some tiny little backpack. Wow, look at that. Now the twin sisters become spies and ride around in the truck trying to learn the evil bug's whereabouts. Oh, and your son just made a friend.
Through all my very, very intensive research, these are the most likely effects of shopping in a gender neutral toy isle. I hope now that you see that literally nothing catestrophic will occur, and you can rest your worrying heart and focus more on learning things about your kid other than the fact that he's a boy. Happy parenting!
